App Store Improvements...

Apple recently announced updates to its submission guidelines and that they will be doing a review of all existing apps in the store and pulling ones that don't meet current standards. If you have an old app in the store, or are planning to submit a new one, you should check them out.

Announcement:
https://developer.apple.com/support/app-store-improvements/

Guidelines:
https://developer.apple.com/app-store/review/guidelines/

Looks like a good thing, a lot of the guidelines are aimed at clearing out the junk.

 

Yup, saw the e-mail yesterday. Seems like a good thing, as long as they plan on making their review process a bit harder to get through as well.

Seems a bit weird. Now that the whole gaming industry seems to let all kinds of games in (Steam has been "accused" of becoming more App store like, now that it let's almost all games in), partly because of the App Store, it's interesting that Apple seems to start dialing it back a bit.

Also. The language on the guidelines seems a bit... weird?

(or maybe I'm just used to reading more technical Apple stuff that are generally far more formally written)

 

This quote actually made ma laugh. Sounds arrogant and snobbish at the same time. "We're a SERIOUS business, don't you dare to submit your amateurish nonsense to us!"

 

That 'cobbled together' is in there as an out so they can reject apps just because they don't like them. They legally don't have to accept any app.

I think though from a company, even as big as Apple, such a statement is entirely uncivil and hypocritical. They'll take your money for their underpowered and overpriced HW and SW but your app? Well they have more sense and taste than to accept your app and they don't faddishly jump on bandwagons as you have done in choosing Apple products.

They should completely re-word that to remove the implicit insult to teenage boys and amateur hobbyists.

 

You've probably heard this countless times but you could always stop buying Apple hardware. Vote with your wallet.

 

How is it is an insult to teenage boys? Really it isn't an insult (implicit or otherwise) to anyone. They are stating clearly that it is intended as a place to sell professional, release quality products. Not a "for funsies" dumping ground. The wording, to me, is kinda refreshing, as it is pretty clear and has direct context.

 

The move makes sense to me. A part of the reason that they're doing so well is that, compared to the other major similar distribution channels (Google Play and the Windows store), the quality of their apps is higher. Someone can "cobble together" something in a few days and chuck it on those stores with little barrier to entry. This consolidates their position at the same time as perhaps making people (even more) willing to spend money in their store.

I also kind of agree with the "amateur hour" comment, pretty much for exactly the reasons @zombiegorrilla said. As I've commented before, I don't think that distributors should be responsible for selling stuff that's not of professional quality, and I don't think learners should focus on selling their stuff. Plus, "more apps" does not mean "better choice", but it does lead to discovery issues on the whole, and I think that pushing the quality bar up is a part of a good approach to dealing with that.

 

Oh, huff! Personally, I think it puts those young whippersnappers in their place.

On a serious note though, I think it's high time someone actually set a bar for these things. Don't we get at least one thread a month here complaining that the market is over-saturated with asset-flips and other garbage?



Wouldn't want to be the person they get to filter that...

 

I don't think it's something new. I remember reading these sentences before and laugh, so it must be at least 1-2 years old.

 

I agree completely with increasing the quality bar.

Better grab flappy bird while you still can.